Choosing a Title

Choosing a title

This book's title was a real challenge to pin down. My publisher wasn't excited about my original title, City of Rivers, and suggested I think of a new one, which I was willing to do, of course, because titles are so important and you want just the right one. Well, it was quite a process. Here's a list of some of the titles we brainstormed. Some were jokes, some were too ridiculous to even consider, but many we rolled across our tongues again and again for months. I put asteriks next to the ones I took most seriously.

*City of Seven Rivers

A Spy in the City of Rivers

The Mystery of the Bodies Burned 

*River Spy

Razo's Story

Spy in the City

Fire, Water, and Razo

*Slinger

Ambassador Spy

*The Captain's Spy

War Scout, Peace Spy

Spying on Tira

The Murderer and the Spy

The Spy and the River Girl

Razo and the River Girl

Spy with a Sling

*Slinger Spy

Spy in the South

*Tree Rat

Jester, Slinger, Soldier, Spy

Spy Me A River

Spyboy!

To Spy A Shadow In The Sun (MacBeth)

The Perfect Spy of the Time (MacBeth)

Upon This City As A Spy (Tempest) 

Forest's Son, City's Spy

*Bayern's Own

Razo's Own

Agent of The Crown

Southern Spy

*Uncertain Spy

Spy.

Spy Havoc!, And let slip the Squirrels of War

A Single Spy

Spying Far from Home

Spying for Fire

A Handful of Stones

Secret Spy

A Stone's Throw

Rivers and Fire

*The Powerless Spy (this one was suggested by a student in the UK)

The Unexpected Spy

*Spying Fire (eventually, this became my second runner up and is echoed in the opening poem)

*River Secrets

*Water Secrets

Northern Spy

The Sling and the Sword

*Unlikely Spy

*A Slinger and a Spy